1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to access doors, and more particularly to an access door having a press-fit flush mounted door with a recessed hinge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Panels for accessing the interior of a wall are readily known in the art. Such panels typically have a frame, which is affixed in the wall, and a removable door panel.
For example, Olley, U.S. Pat. No. 1,818,269, discloses an access panel and a cover plate therefor. A flange is provided as part of the frame, and is mounted on the inside of the wall. A cover plate, which is secured by screws, is provided for covering the opening in the wall.
In order to make a door panel removable while overcoming the inconvenience of using screws to secure the door, other prior art devices employ a resilient member for securing the door in the frame. When it is desired to remove the door from the frame, outward pressure is applied to the door to bias the resilient members and to release the door from the frame.
For example, Hatch, U.S. Pat. No. 1,044,383 discloses a door having removable panels. Each panel includes a groove in which fits a rod mounted on the door. The rod is resilient and snaps into the groove when the panel is inserted. After the rod enters the groove, the panel is securely held into the frame.
Sachs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,418 discloses an access panel having a press-fit door. The frame includes a shallow groove on its inner edge. The press-fit door has resilient proturbences which engage the groove to secure the door in the frame but allow removal of the door.
Generally, access panel frames include a wide edge, which is mounted on the exterior of the wall, and a narrow edge, which faces the inside of the wall. Other access panel have been developed in which the wide edge is located within the wall, or in which the frame is reversible. In a reversible configuration, the door may be mounted in either face of the frame.
For example, Huyssen, U.S. Pat. No. 2,352,714 discloses an access panel wherein the wide edge of the frame is mounted on the inside of the wall. Huyssen further discloses flush-mounting the door on the outer edge of the frame.
Sterud, U.S. Pat. No. 2,793,721 and Sachs, U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,418 disclose other access doors wherein the door may be mounted on either face of the frame.
Other prior art devices employed a fixed hinge which attached the door to the frame rather than making the door panel removable. However, none of these prior art devices disclose an access panel having a door which hinges to allow the door to be opened and closed while still allowing the door to be removed. Furthermore, none of the prior art devices which employ a reversible door discloses the use of a hidden hinge in the panel which allows the door to be installed in, removed from, and hinge while mounted in, either face of the frame.